Simultaneous multinuclear magnetic resonance imaging
First Claim
1. A magnetic resonance (MR) device for magnetic resonance imaging of a body placed in an examination volume, the MR device comprising:
- a main magnet for generating a stationary and substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume; and
an RF coil arrangement for generating RF fields in the examination volume and/or for receiving MR signals from the body, whereinthe RF coil arrangement comprises at least four independent resonator elements which are adjacently arranged in or near the examination volume,adjacent resonator elements are alternately tuned to one of two or more different MR resonance frequencies, andeach resonator element is associated with a separate signal transmission and/or signal reception channel of the MR device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic resonance (MR) device for magnetic resonance imaging of a body placed in an examination volume includes a main magnet or generating a stationary and substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume, and an RF coil arrangement for generating RF fields in the examination volume and/or for receiving MR signals from the body. In order to provide such an MR device, which is arranged to operate at the resonance (Larmor) frequencies of two or more different nuclear species at the same time, the RF coil arrangement includes independent resonator elements which are adjacently arranged in or near the examination volume. The adjacent resonator elements are alternately tuned to one of two or more different MR resonance frequencies, and each resonator element is associated with a separate signal transmission and/or signal reception channel of the MR device.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A magnetic resonance (MR) device for magnetic resonance imaging of a body placed in an examination volume, the MR device comprising:
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a main magnet for generating a stationary and substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume; and an RF coil arrangement for generating RF fields in the examination volume and/or for receiving MR signals from the body, wherein the RF coil arrangement comprises at least four independent resonator elements which are adjacently arranged in or near the examination volume, adjacent resonator elements are alternately tuned to one of two or more different MR resonance frequencies, and each resonator element is associated with a separate signal transmission and/or signal reception channel of the MR device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of at least a portion of a body placed in an examination volume of an MR device, the method comprising the acts of:
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exciting nuclear magnetization within the body an MR imaging sequence comprising switched magnetic field gradients and RF pulses, wherein the RF pulses are generated simultaneously at two or more different MR resonance frequencies by RF coil arrangement comprising at least four independently tunable resonator elements; simultaneously acquiring MR signals from the body at the two or more different MR resonance frequencies via separate signal reception channels associated with the resonator elements; and reconstructing an MR image from the acquired MR signals. - View Dependent Claims (13, 15, 16)
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14. The method of 12, wherein the method further comprises the following acts carried out prior to the acts of exciting nuclear magnetization and acquiring MR signals:
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prescribing the parameters of the sequence of switched magnetic field gradients as required in terms of image resolution for a nuclear species corresponding to a lower MR resonance, frequency of the two or more different MR resonance frequencies; and thereafter determining the parameters of the sequence of RF pulses and MR signal acquisition bandwidths for all nuclear species prescribed parameters of the sequence of switched magnetic field gradients.
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17. A magnetic resonance (MR) device for magnetic resonance imaging of a body placed in an examination volume, the MR device comprising:
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a main magnet for generating a stationary and substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume; and an RF coil arrangement for generating RF fields in the examination volume and/or for receiving MR signals from the body, wherein the RF coil arrangement comprises a plurality of independent resonator elements which are adjacently arranged in or near the examination volume, adjacent resonator elements are alternately tuned to one of two or more different MR resonance frequencies, and each resonator element is associated with a separate signal transmission and/or signal reception channel of the MR device, wherein the resonator elements are distributed on a surface surrounding the examination volume, and wherein the examination volume has an asymmetric cross section.
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18. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform the acts of:
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generating an MR imaging sequence comprising switched magnetic field gradients and RF pulses, wherein the RF pulses are generated simultaneously at two or more different MR resonance frequencies using at least four independently tunable resonator elements; processing MR signals acquired simultaneously at the two or more different MR resonance frequencies via separate signal reception channels associated with independently tuned resonator elements of an RF coil arrangement; and reconstructing an MR image from the acquired MR signals.
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19. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform the acts of:
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generating an MR imaging sequence comprising switched magnetic field gradients and RF pulses, wherein the RF pulses are generated simultaneously at two or more different MR resonance frequencies; processing MR signals acquired simultaneously at the two or more different MR resonance frequencies via separate signal reception channels associated with independently tuned resonator elements of an RF coil arrangement; reconstructing an MR image from the acquired MR signals; prescribing parameters of the sequence of switched magnetic field gradients as required in terms of image resolution for a nuclear species corresponding to lower MR resonance, frequency of the two or more different MR resonance frequencies; and determining the parameters of the sequence of RF pulses and an MR signal acquisition bandwidths for all nuclear species based on the prescribed parameters of the sequence of switched magnetic field gradients.
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20. A method for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of at least a portion of a body placed in an examination volume of an MR device, the method comprising the acts of:
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exciting nuclear magnetization within the body by an MR imaging sequence comprising switched magnetic field gradients and RF pulses, wherein the RF pulses are generated simultaneously at two or more different MR resonance frequencies by an RF coil arrangement comprising a plurality of independently tunable resonator elements; simultaneously acquiring MR signals from the body at the two or more different MR resonance frequencies via separate signal reception channels associated with the resonator elements; reconstructing an MR image from the acquired MR signals; prescribing parameters of the sequence of switched magnetic field gradients as required in terms of image resolution for a nuclear species corresponding to lower MR resonance frequency of the two or more different MR resonance frequencies; and determining the parameters of the sequence of RF pulses and an MR signal acquisition bandwidths for all nuclear species based on the prescribed parameters of the sequence of switched magnetic field gradients.
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Specification